LITTLE ROCK – After two games on the road, the Little Rock soccer team returns to the Coleman Sports & Recreation Complex on Friday and Sunday this week to take on Mississippi Valley State and Kansas State.
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The Trojans' contest against the Devilettes will kick off at 7 p.m., and that contest will be preceded by a Senior Night ceremony to honor the Trojans' seven seniors graduating this year. On Sunday, kickoff against Kansas State is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Little Rock is coming off a victory against UAPB last Tuesday and a loss on the road at No. 14 Texas A&M on Friday. Despite the loss, Little Rock played a very strong contest against the Aggies, holding them to just 12 shots and only six on goal.
Sara Small made five saves in the loss, and the Trojan defense helped her clear away many more chances from the Aggies.
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This will be the Trojans' final weekend of the season before Sun Belt Conference play begins on September 16 at Texas State.
Jaclyn Purvine is Little Rock's leading scorer with two goals and an assist for five total points.
Fali Garuba is the only other Trojan with two goals on the year, and
Quin Wilkes is the only Trojan with two assists.
 The seniors who will be honored on Friday night are
Sara Cavanagh,
Hali Long,
Shara Robbins,
Sara Small,
Shannon Shields,
Kayla Turner and
Mikayla Uyokpeyi. Of those seven, five (Cavanagh, Long, Robbins, Turner, Uyokpeyi) have been with Little Rock for all four years of the careers and will be the first graduating class to have played all four years for Coach
Adrian Blewitt.
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The Trojans' first opponent this weekend, Mississippi Valley State, has an 0-3 record on the season. Little Rock is 4-0 all-time against the Devilettes including a 3-1 victory on the road last year.
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Kansas State is 2-2-2 this season, its first season in existence. The Trojans have not fared well historically against Big 12 Conference teams, but they did post a tie against Texas on the road last season. Little Rock will be playing a first-year team for the second time in three years. The Trojans opened their 2014 campaign at home against Chicago State, a team playing its first ever game.
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KICK OFF
- Little Rock held strong against a tough Texas A&M team ranked No. 14 in the country on Friday, falling by a 1-0 scoreline.
- The Trojans played solid defense against the Aggies, allowing them to only take six shots on goal total.
- Friday night will be Senior Night for Little Rock as the program will honor its seven seniors graduating this year. Five of the seven seniors are four-year seniors.
- Harrison Hayworth and Sara Small were named the Sun Belt Conference's Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week last week, marking the first time in program history that two Trojans had won that honor in the same week.
- Sara Small moved up to 12th all-time in Trojan history in saves over the weekend, recording her 105th career save. She is the Trojans' all-time leader in save percentage and goals against average.
- The Trojans are 4-0 all-time against Mississippi Valley State including a 3-1 win last year. Little Rock has never played Kansas State, as the Wildcats are in their first year of existence.
